From a story on axios.com by Mike Allen, Erica Pandey, and Jim VandeHei headlimed “The musical brain workout”:
We’ve all heard of a total body workout, but it’s also possible to get a total brain workout.
And one of the quickest — and most fun — ways to do it is by throwing on your favorite tunes.
The big picture: Listening to music stimulates multiple parts of your brain, and research has linked it to reduced anxiety and physical pain, as well as boosted mood and memory, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.
It’s one of the most effective tools we’ve got to keep our brains young. And it can even revive old memories in dementia patients.
“Music can take you back in time, as well as act like a jolt of electricity that can fire up your brain and get it going,” Andrew Budson, the chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology at VA Boston Healthcare System, told The Washington Post.
Case in point: Consider these two compelling examples of the healing power of music.
1. Stroke survivors who have lost the ability to speak can, in some cases, learn how to sing using music therapy, and then translate those skills to speaking, per one study.
2. Parkinson’s patients can use dance to improve their balance and gait speed, according to an AARP report.
The bottom line: Revel in the joy of song and dance — it’s good for you!
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